NOTES AND QUERIES:

A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC.

"When found, make a note of."—Captain Cuttle.

CONTENTS.

Notes.

TEACHING A DOG FRENCH.

"N. & Q." the other day (Vol. viii., p. 464.) contained a curious tale of a cat: will you insert as a pendent the following one of a dog? The supposition that D. Julio was some obnoxious Frenchman protected by the Government, seems necessary to account for the "teachyng a dogg frenche" in front of his door constituting such a dire offence. His name occurs, if I remember rightly, in Dr. Dee's Diary (Cam. Soc.), but I have not the book at hand to refer to. Perhaps some of your correspondents may inform me who he was. The original is in the Lansdowne MS. (114. No. 8.) in the British Museum; and the fact of its being amongst Lord Burleigh's papers shows that the occurrence took place between 1571 and 1598, the respective dates of his appointment as "l tresurer" and his death.

Arthur Paget.

"D. Julio's Abstract of the Deposicons of ye witnesses sworne touching ye speches of John Paget.

"To proue that one William (sic) Paget, on the V^th day of this present moneth, being Friday, betwixt VIII and IX of the clocke at nyght, went vp and down teachyng a dogg frenche.

"1. M^ris Karter, a jentilwoman borne, sayeth, that about the same tym, she did hear the said Paget, that he wold teache his dogg to speak frenche.

"2. M^ris Anne Coot, a jentilwoman, affirmeth the same.

"3. One William Poyser, yeoman, sayeth, that he harde Paget saye that he wold make his dogg speake as good frenche as any of them.

"4. James Hudson sayeth, that standing at his maisters doore he did hear Paget speake to his dogg in a straunge language, but what language he knew not.

"5. Edward, a grosser, is to be deposed that he harde Paget say, I will teache my dogg to speake frenche, and was talking with his dogg in frenche.

"To proue that the sayd Paget did say, Shortlye will come vnto the realme frenche dogges, I hope I shall see thame all rootted out.

"1. M^ris Karter sayeth, she harde Paget say, Shortlie wil come vnto the realme frenche dogges, I hope I shall see thame all rootted out.

"2. M^ris Anne Coot affirmeth the same.

"3. William Poyser sayeth, he harde Paget say, Within this week or two, there will come a great many frenche dogges.

"4. M^ris Eleonore Borgourneci vppon her othe affirmeth the same.

"5. The l maior writteth in his lre to my l tresurer that Paget affirmeth before him that he wold the realme were ryd of all yll straungers, adding this qualification. [Qualification not given.]

"To proue the great assembly that was with Paget, before D. Julio came home to his howse.

"1. John Polton saieth, when his maister came home there was about a hundreth persone of men, women, and chyldren, vp and downe there.

"2. James Hudson sayeth, that he thinketh there was about ^XXIIII people assembled in the streett before this examinat his maister came home.

"3. Richard Preston sayeth, that there was in his iudgement aboue a hundred people in the streett before this deponets maister came home, and after his m^r came home the nomber of the people were greater.

"To proue that the sayd Paget did resiste to the constable when he came to apprehend him.

"1. William Poyser sayeth, when the constable came to apprehende the sayd Paget he kept the constable out with force, and sayd he should not enter on him.

"2. James Hudson sayeth, Paget wold not suffer the constable to entere vnto his howse, but sayd if any man will entere vnto this howse, yf it were not f^r felony or treason to apprehend him, he wold kill hym, yf he could, f^r he sayd his howse was his castell.

"3. Richard Preston sayeth, when the constable came to apprehende Pagett, he hauing a bill or halberd in his hand, did keape him out of his howse, and sayd, he showld not enter except it were f^r felonye or treason, or that he brought my l maiors warrant."

THE RELIGION OF THE RUSSIANS.

Public attention being very particularly directed towards the Russian nation at the present time, a few remarks regarding some peculiarities in their manner of worship, &c., which probably are not generally known, may be interesting.

I have been for some time past endeavouring to determine the exact nature of the homage the Russians pay to the "gods"—whether they should be called images or pictures? and whether the Russians should be considered idolaters or not?

Whenever a Russian passes a church, his custom is to cross himself (some do so three times, accompanying it with bowing). In every room in their houses an image (or picture) is placed in the east corner, before which they uncover their heads and cross themselves on entering.

Their churches are filled with these their representatives of the deity, and it is very curious to observe a devout Russian kissing the toe of one, crossing himself before another, while to another he will in addition prostrate himself, even with his head to the ground; this latter is also very frequently done at intervals during the celebration of their services: but their churches are always open, so that if any one wants to pay devotion to a particular image (or picture) while no service is going on, he can do so.

I understand that they consider they worship the deity through these representations. In the present day these gods are called obraaz, of which the literal translation is image. The old Sclavonic word for them is eekona, which was formerly in general use, and has exactly the same meaning, answering to the Greek word εικων. As far as I can make out, neither of these words can be translated picture; but I do not remember to have found this point touched upon in any books I I have read on Russia or its religion; and hope, if any correspondent is able to give us farther information on the subject, he will do so.

The Russians also believe in relics, in their efficacy in healing diseases, working other miracles, &c. Notwithstanding this, a very short time ago, a new relic was found in the south of Russia, and a courier being immediately despatched with it to the Emperor at St. Petersburg; on his arrival, his Imperial Majesty (expecting some important news regarding his operations in the neighbourhood of Turkey), when told his errand, exclaimed, "Away with the relic! it is time to put an end to such nonsense." Would that this were to be carried out! But their superstitions seem too deeply rooted to be done away with in a short time.

J. S. A.

LEICESTERSHIRE EPITAPHS.

Having seen only one epitaph from this county among those which have appeared in "N. & Q.," I annex a few specimens, which you may perhaps deem worth inserting in your pages.

Burbage:

Hinckley:

Braunstone:

Another:

Belgrave. This I quote from memory; it may not be verbally, but it is substantially correct:

Newtown Linford, adjoining Bradgate Park. In this churchyard is a tombstone on which is engraved only the letters of the alphabet and the simple numerals. The story goes, that he who lies below, an illiterate inhabitant of the village in the last century, whose name, I believe, is now forgotten, being very anxious that, after death, a tombstone should be erected to perpetuate his memory, and being fearful that his relatives might neglect to do so, came to Leicester to purchase one himself. Seeing this stone in the mason's workshop (where it was used by the workmen as a pattern for the letters and figures), he bought it "a bargain," supposing it would serve his purpose as well as a new one, and after his decease it was placed at the head of his grave, where it now appears.

All Saints' churchyard, Leicester. On two children of John Bracebridge, who were both named John, and died infants:

Throsby (Hist. of Leic.) relates that Bishop Thurlow, at one of his visitations, had the words by God altered to thro' God.

William Kelly.

Leicester.

LONGFELLOW'S "REAPER AND THE FLOWERS."

On looking over, a short time ago, a book of German songs, I was much struck by the similarity of thought, and even sometimes of expression, between the above piece from Mr. Longfellow's Voices of the Night, and a song by Luise Reichardt, a few verses of which I subjoin; as perhaps the song may not be known to some of your correspondents.

"It is a favourite theme," as Sir W. Scott says, "of laborious dulness to trace such coincidences, because they appear to reduce genius of the higher order to the usual standard of humanity, and of course to bring the author nearer to a level with his critics."

It is not, however, with the view of detracting from the originality of Mr. Longfellow, that these two small pieces are put side by side; for possibly the song alluded to was never seen by our transatlantic neighbour, but merely for the purpose of showing how the poets treat the same, and certainly not very novel subject.

J. C. B.

Minor Notes.

"Receipt" or "Recipe."—In one of Mr. Ryle's popular tracts, "Do you pray?" Wertheim and Mackintosh: London, 1853, occurs the following expression, p. 18.:

"What is the best receipt for happiness?"

Is the use of "receipt" for "recipe" to be admitted into the English language?

W. E.

Death of Philip III. of Spain.—D'Israeli, in his Curiosities of literature, states to the effect that this kings fatal illness was induced by the overheating of a brazier, whereof state etiquette forbad the removal until the person in regular attendance should arrive. For this statement he quotes no authority, and consequently Mr. Bolton Corney, in his Illustrations of the Curiosities of Literature (2nd ed., p. 87.), discredits the story.

It is singular that Mr. Corney should have forgotten that the anecdote is given by the Maréchal de Bassompierre, who was at Madrid at the time of the king's death; the Maréchal's informant was the Marquis de Pobar, who was present at the scene. Is not this sufficient? (See Mémoires de Bassompierre, under the date of 11th of March, 1621, vol. i. p. 548. of the edition of Cologne, 1665.)

C. V.

Churchwardens.—In an old scrap-book in my possession, I met with the following, which, should you deem it of sufficient interest, I shall be glad to see inserted in "N. & Q." The print appears to be about sixty or seventy years old, and evidently from a newspaper:

"The institution of churchwardens is of remote antiquity, they having been first appointed at the African Council, held under Celestine and Boniface, about the year of our Lord 423. These officers have at different periods been distinguished by different appellations, Defensores, Œconomi, and Præpositi Ecclesiæ, Testes Synodales, &c. In the time of Edward III. they were called Church Reves, as we read in Chaucer:

'Of church reves, and of testamentes,

Of contractes, and of lacke of sacramentes.'

At this day they are called Churchwardens; all those names being expressive of the nature of the office, which is to guard, preserve, and superintend the rights, revenues, buildings, and furniture of the church. In an old churchwarden's book of accounts, belonging to the parish of Farringdon, in the county of Berks, and bearing date A.D. 1518, there is the form of admitting churchwardens into their office at that period, in the following words: 'Cherchye Wardenys, thys shall be your charge: to be true to God and to the cherche: for love nor for favor off no man wythin thys parriche to withold any ryght to the cherche; but to resseve the dettys to hyt belongythe, or else to go to the devell.'"

Your readers will observe that the last is a very summary kind of sentence. Any farther information relating to the institution of churchwardens^[1] will be esteemed by

J. B. Whitborne.

Epigram.—In an old book I found this epigram, published in 1660, more suitable perhaps for your columns during the excitement of the Papal aggression than now:

Aliquis.

Edinburgh.

Oxford Commemoration Squib, 1849.—The following jeu d'esprit was circulated in Oxford at the Commemoration in 1849; it created a great sensation at the time, from its clever allusion to the political changes on the other side of the channel, and, I think, deserves to be rescued from oblivion by a place in the columns of "N. & Q.:"

"LIBERTY! FRATERNITY! EQUALITY!

"Citizen Academicians,

"The cry of Reform has been too long unheard. Our infatuated rulers refused to listen to it. The term of their tyranny is at length accomplished. The Vice-Chancellor has fled on horseback. The Proctors have resigned their usurped authority. The Scouts have fraternised with the friends of liberty. The University is no more. A Republican Lyceum will henceforth diffuse light and civilisation. The hebdomadal board is abolished. The Legislative Powers will be entrusted to a General Convention of the whole Lyceum. A Provisional Government has been established. The undersigned citizens have nobly devoted themselves to the task of administration.

(Signed) "Citizen Clough (President of the Executive Council).

Sewell.

Bossom (Operative).

John Conington.

Wrightson."

Your academical readers will appreciate the signatures.

Tewars.

Professor Macgillivray.—The mention by W. (Vol. viii., p. 467.) of this lamented naturalist's posthumous work, descriptive of the Natural History of Balmoral, and of its intended publication by Prince Albert, induces me to hope that you will give insertion to the following extract from Professor Macgillivray's History of the Molluscous Animals of Aberdeenshire, &c., as showing the character of the man, and the spirit in which he prosecuted his researches.

"The labour required for such an investigation cannot be at all appreciated by those who have not directed their energies towards such an object. The rocky coasts and sandy beaches of the sea, the valleys and hills of the interior, the pastures, mossy banks, thickets, woods, rocks, ruins, walls, ditches, pools, canals, rills, and rivers, were all to be assiduously searched. No collections of mollusca made in the district were known to me, nor do any of our libraries contain the works necessary to be consulted, although that of King's College supplies some of great value. In a situation so remote from the great centres of civilisation, the solution of doubts is often difficult of attainment, and there is always a risk of describing as new what may already have been entered into the long catalogue of known objects. But the pleasure of continually adding to one's knowledge, the sympathy of friends, the invigorating influence of the many ramblings required, the delight of aiding others in the same pursuits, and many other circumstances, amply suffice to carry one through greater difficulties than those alluded to, even should the sneers of the ignorantly-wise, or the frowns of the pompously-grave, be directed toward the unconscious wight, who, immersed in mud, gropes with the keenness of a money-gatherer, for the to them insignificant objects, which have exercised the wisdom and the providence of the glorious Creator."—Preface, p. 10.

J. Macray.

Manifesto of the Emperor Nicholas.—Some of the newspapers, having stated that the concluding Latin words in this manifesto—"Domine in te speravi, ne confundar in eternum"—are from the Psalms, I beg to say that these words are not taken from the Scriptures of either Testament, nor from the Apocrypha; but constitute the last verse of the "Te Deum," commencing, "We acknowledge thee to be the Lord," and ending, "O Lord, in thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded." It is usual to sing "Te Deum" after victories, but Nicholas begins his song before he achieves one: taking the last verse first.

T. J. Buckton.

Lichfield.

Queries.

WILLIAM COOKWORTHY, THE INVENTOR OF BRITISH PORCELAIN.

In endeavouring to revive the neglected memory of this good and great man, I have carefully looked over the chief periodicals of his day (1730 to 1780) with very little success; perhaps because those I have at command, the Gentleman's Magazine, Universal Magazine, and Universal Museum, were not those selected for his correspondence.

If any of your readers can refer me to any papers or essays of his, or any details of the internal management of his China works, or of his public or private life, it will be doing me a great favour.

What I have hitherto collected are chiefly fragmentary accounts of his life and character; general notices of his discovery of the China clay and stone, of the progress of his manufactory, and of his treatment of British cobalt ores; details of his experiments on the distillation of sea-water for use on ship-board; a treatise in detail on the divining rod; and several of his private letters, chiefly religious.

Most of these I have thrown out in print, under the title of Relics of William Cookworthy, &c., which I am desirous of making much more complete.

J. Prideaux.

CATHOLIC FLORAL DIRECTORIES, ETC.

More than a year ago (Vol. vi., p. 503.) I made a Query respecting Catholic Floral Directories, and two works in particular which were largely quoted in Mr. Oakley's Catholic Florist, Lond. 1851; and I again alluded to them in Vol. vii., p. 402., but have not got any reply. The two works referred to, viz. the Anthologia Borealis et Australis, and the Florilegium Sanctorum Aspirationum, are not to be heard of anywhere (so far as I can see) save in Mr. Oakley's book. During the last year I have ransacked all the bibliographical authorities I could lay hold of, and made every inquiry after these mysterious volumes, but all in vain.

The orthography and style of the passages cited are of a motley kind, and most of them read like modern compositions, though here and there we have a quaint simile and a piece of antique spelling. In fact they seem more like imitations than anything else; and I cannot resist the temptation of placing them on the same shelf with M‘Pherson's Ossian and the poems of Rowley. In some places a French version of the Florilegium is quoted: even if that escaped one's researches, is it likely that two old English books (which these purport to be), of such a remarkable kind, should be unknown to all our bibliographers, and to the readers of "N. & Q.," among whom may be found the chief librarians and bibliographers in the three kingdoms. Is it not strange also that Mr. Oakley and his "compiler" decline giving any information respecting these books?

I shall feel extremely obliged to any correspondent who will clear up this matter, and who will furnish me with a list of Catholic Floral Directories.

Eirionnach.

GEORGE ALSOP.

George Alsop was ordained deacon 1666-67, priest 1669, by Henry King, Bishop of Chichester. He printed in 1669—

"An Orthodox Plea for the Sanctuary of God, Common Service, and White Robe of the House. Printed for the Author, and sold by R. Reynolds, at the Sun and Bible in the Postern."

It is a small 8vo. of eighty-six pages, exclusive of the dedication to the Bishop of Chichester, and an Epistle to the Reader, and has a portrait of the author by W. Sherwin.

Can any of your readers give me any account of this George Alsop, his preferment, if any, and the time of his death?

He is, I feel persuaded, a different person from the author of A Character of Maryland, 12mo., 1666.

P. B.

Minor Queries.

B. L. M.—What is the meaning of the abbreviation B. L. M. in Italian epistolary correspondence? I have reason to believe that it is used where some degree of acquaintance exists, but not in addressing an entire stranger. In a correspondence now before me, one of the writers, an Italian gentleman, uses it in the subscription to every one of his letters, except the first, thus:

I need not add more examples. There is nothing in Graglia's Collection of Italian Letters that explains it.

J. W. T.

Dewsbury.

Member of Parliament electing himself.—In the biographical notices of the author of an Inquiry into the Rise and Growth of the Royal Prerogative in England, 1849, I find the following curious circumstances:

"The writ for election (of a member for the county of Bute) was transmitted to the sheriff, Mr. M‘Leod Bannatine, afterwards Lord Bannatine. He named the day, and issued his precept for the election. When the day of election arrived, Mr. Bannatine was the only freeholder present. As freeholder he voted himself chairman of the meeting; as sheriff he produced the writ and receipt for election, read the writ and the oaths against bribery at elections; as sheriff he administered the oaths of supremacy, &c., to himself as chairman; he signed the oaths as chairman and as sheriff; as chairman he named the clerk to the meeting, and called over the roll of freeholders; he proposed the candidate and declared him elected; he dictated and signed the minutes of election; as sheriff he made an indenture of election between himself as sheriff and himself as chairman, and transmitted it to the crown office."

Can any of your correspondents furnish me with a similar case?

H. M.

Peckham.

"Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re."—This rule is strongly recommended by Lord Chesterfield in one of his letters, as "unexceptionably useful and necessary in every part of life." Whence is it taken, and who is its author?

J. W. T.

Dewsbury.

Jacobite Garters.—Can any of your readers inform me of the origin of the "rebel garters," a pair of which I possess, and which have been carefully handed down with other Stuart relics by my Jacobin fathers?

They are about 4 feet long, and 1¼ inch deep, of silk woven in the loom; the pattern consists of a stripe of red, yellow, and blue, once repeated, and arranged so that the two blue lines meet in the centre. At each end, for about six or seven inches, and at spaces set at regular intervals, these lines of colour are crossed, so as to form a check or tartan; the spaces corresponding with the words in the following inscription, and one word being allotted to each space:

"Come lett us with one heart agree"

and it is continued on the other:

"To pray that God may bless P. C."

The tartan, however, does not appear to be the "Royal Stuart."

Probably they were distributed to the friends and adherents of poor Prince Charles Edward, to commemorate some special event in his ill-fated career. But it would be interesting to know if many of them remain, and, if possible, their correct history.

E. L. I.

Daughters taking their Mothers' Names.—Can any of your readers favour me with any instances, about the time of the first, second, and third Edwards, of a daughter adding to her own name that of the mother, as Alicia, daughter of Ada, &c.

Buriensis.

General Fraser.—Have there been any Life or Memoirs ever published of General Fraser, who fell in Burgoyne's most disastrous campaign? If any such exist I should be glad to know of them.

W. Fraser.

Tor-Mohun.

A Punning Divine.—Wanted the whereabouts of the following sentence, which is said to be taken from a volume of sermons published during the reign of James I.:

"This dial shows that we must die all; yet notwithstanding, all houses are turned into ale houses; our cares into cates; our paradise into a pair o' dice; matrimony into a matter of money, and marriage into a merry age; our divines have become dry vines; it was not so in the days of Noah,—O no!"

W. W.

Malta.

Contango.—A technical term in use among the sharebrokers of Liverpool, and I presume elsewhere, signifying a sum of money paid for accommodating either a buyer or seller by carrying the engagement to pay money or deliver shares over to the next account-day. Can your correspondents say from whence derived?

Agmond.

Pedigree to the Time of Alfred.—Wapshott, a blacksmith in Chertsey, holds lands held by his ancestors temp. Alfred (M‘Culloch's Highlands, vol. iv. p. 410.). Can this statement be confirmed in 1853?

A. C.

"Service is no inheritance."—Will you or any of your readers have the goodness to inform me what is the origin of the adage occurring twice in the Waverley Novels, thus:

"Service, I wot, is no inheritance now-a-days; some are wiser than other some," &c. (See Peveril of the Peak, chap. xiv.)

and

"Ay, St. Ronan's, that is a' very true,—but service is nae inheritance, and as for friendship it begins at hame."—St. Ronan's Well, chap. x.

I have seen a stone in an old building in the north of Scotland, with the following inscription, cut in letters of an ancient form: "Be gude in office, or (or perhaps 'for,' part of the stone being here broken off) servitude is no inheritance to none." And I am curious to know the origin of this proverb, so similar to that put by Sir Walter Scott in the mouths of two of his homely characters; the one English and the other Scotch. An answer will very much oblige

G. M. T.

Edinburgh.

Antiquity of Fire-irons.—In an old book, published 1660, I met with the following couplet: